Ghosts of Birthdays Past
by withgirl
Summary: Based on 'A Christmas Carol', It's Regina's birthday and Henry is trying to ignore it. Will he regret this once three people show him the past, present and future of his mother's birthdays? Set in season 2. [Emma x Regina pairing, though this will be primarily focused upon RegalBeliever XD]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Just the prologue to a random idea I had.**

 **There will be three more chapters, and I hope you guys can guess what they'll be about based on the title haha**

 **Let me know if your interested in a continuation so I know whether you guys want it haha**

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

Henry yawned audibly and tried desperately to focus on the fractions he was set as homework, even despite the thing that was nagging at his mind. His grandmother gave him a curious look from the kitchen, and he just smiled at her by way of assuring her that he was alright, before turning back to his work.

For the past week he had been trying to put aside the little fact of what tomorrow was, it wasn't as if anyone else even knew, or cared, that tomorrow was a special day for someone.

He gripped his pencil tighter, the sound of boots hitting the stairs serving as a much needed distraction.

"You need help, kid?" Emma asked with a furrowed brow, and if she were honest a bit of anxiety. It was still odd to think that he would want her to help with homework, and she was genuinely nervous about being able to do so. The worst thing was that she knew exactly who would be happy and able to help, but the boy had seemed to want to pretend that she didn't exist since the curse broke.

Henry smiled up at his blonde mother and shook his head, "I'm fine," he assured.

Emma tilted her head and came to stand next to the table that her son sat at, "are you sure? You look like something's on your mind."

Henry smiled unconvincingly and replied, "I'm fine, fractions just aren't fun."

Emma furrowed her brow and just decided to accept his explanation.

The blonde went over to the kitchen and accepted the cup of coffee from her mother, "why is he doing homework on a Saturday morning?" she whispered.

"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" Snow retorted with a smirk.

Emma nodded, still staring at the boy who was heavily writing on his worksheet.

"He's usually playing videogames," she replied.

Snow nodded in agreement, and said, "well he's probably thinking about Regina."

Emma turned away from her gazing position and spun to look at her mother, "why would he? He hasn't even mentioned her in weeks."

Snow looked at her daughter for a moment, Emma always reacted in a similar way when someone mentioned the mayor, and she tried not to look too far into that fact. But the mix of hope and fear on the saviour's face made the fact that everyone was aware of, hard to deny. The sheriff had a crush on the Evil Queen, and it was certainly not something that Snow White was going to enlighten her daughter about, at least not yet.

"Well...it's her birthday tomorrow, he probably feels guilty for leaving her alone."

Something resembling guilt passed the blonde's face, and Snow guessed that she felt bad for not knowing that it was the mayor's birthday or for the fact that Regina probably wasn't even expecting company, much less presents.

Emma seemed to consider her options for a moment, before she just went with her initial plan and marched over the brunette boy with her mother's faint protestations in her ear.

"What did you get your mom for her birthday?" she asked.

Henry looked up in shock for a moment, and replied in as even a voice as possible, "I thought your birthday wasn't until May."

Emma narrowed her eyes at Henry, and to his credit, he didn't seem to want to back down from his retort.

"You know what I mean, Henry," she replied after a moment of silence.

"She's not my mom, why do I have to get her anything?"

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, and was about to respond, only to be stopped when Snow put her hand on the blonde's shoulder and gave a look that said 'stop'.

"I think what Emma means, Henry, is that Regina deserves to have someone with her on her birthday."

For a split second, pain flashed across Henry's face, before he promptly shook his head, "why? Evil people don't deserve to have happy birthdays."

"Henry..." Snow began to weakly protest, she seemed completely unable to think of something that would convince him that he was wrong, and after the silence stretched, Emma rolled her eyes.

The blonde turned away from her mother, and said, "you have to, because I say so."

Henry shook his head and replied, "you can't force me to get her a present."

Emma thought this through for a moment, and finally scowled, "fine," she sighed, and then turning to her mother, "watch him."

"Where are you going?" Snow called when her daughter was already halfway across the room and about to grab her coat.

"To get Regina a present," she replied, and then walked out of the front door before she had to listen to anymore reasons that the woman she loved was evil.

 **A/N Reviews would be much appreciated and as always I need to thank my beta QueenApples XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hey guys, so as it turned out this is another set up chapter. The next three will have the past, present and future sections and then I'll do an epilogue :)**

Chapter two

Henry watched as Regina waited at the counter for her coffee.

Since Emma had found out that it was nearly his mother's birthday, he hadn't been able to think of anything else. But still, he kept telling himself that Regina was evil and therefore didn't deserve to be treated nicely just because it was her birthday, it wouldn't be fair on all of the people she had hurt.

Since the curse had broken, however, much of the town seemed to just ignore the woman rather than have am actual vendetta against her. He had to admit that Storybrooke, with all of its technological advances, was probably much better than the Enchanted Forest in many ways, and now without the curse, people could be with those that they loved. Everyone except the Evil Queen had gotten their happy endings.

Henry shook his head and looked away from the woman who no longer even bothered to try and smile at him. Regina seemed to have resigned herself to a lonely existence again, the consolation being that she was allowed to keep her job since no one could deny that she was a competent mayor, plus the fact that no one else actually wanted to have to deal with all of the paperwork.

"Aren't you hungry, Henry?" Snow asked, interrupting the boy from his thoughts.

Henry turned to his grandmother who was sitting across from him in the booth, and realised that Ruby had just placed his lunch in front of him, "sorry, in another world," he laughed.

Snow looked over at Regina as she accepted her coffee and turned to leave and sighed audibly, "are you really going to just ignore her?"

Henry sneakily looked sideways and noticed his adoptive mother finally leaving the diner and then replied, "she ruined your life, right?"

Snow bit her lip, desperately trying to chose the right words, "she certainly made it more difficult..."

"Exactly, it's her fault that Emma grew up alone, why should any of us care how she is?"

"Henry, you can't just see things that way," Snow sighed, "she raised you for ten years."

"She lied to me for years, she convinced me that I was crazy," he retorted, "why are you sticking up for her?" Henry asked, sounding completely disgusted.

Snow swallowed hard, she didn't exactly know how to explain it. She had seen the way that the mayor and sheriff looked at each other, it was more than mere attraction, she could tell that it was love and if she were completely honest, she had a feeling that it was probably true love considering circumstances under which they had met. It was for this reason that she had begun to make herself forgive her former-stepmother, so that her daughter could be happy in the future. Though she wasn't quite yet ready for the pair to enter into a relationship, she had stopped feeling nauseous whenever she thought about the idea. She had to admit that the Evil Queen and the saviour would make an epic romance story.

"She was afraid of what would have happened if the curse broke, her life would have been in danger, it was in danger," she replied.

Henry narrowed his eyes at his grandmother; he couldn't understand why Snow White of all people would want to protect the Evil Queen. She and David had been the first to say that he should stay with them after the curse broke.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you should go and talk to her, at least try and mend your relationship before you regret it."

"Did she do something to you?" he asked cautiously.

"What?" Snow laughed.

"Did Regina like brainwash you or something so that you would say all of this and make me go back to her?"

Snow shook her head, and replied, "She hasn't so much as looked at me, Henry. She's trying to be better. You asked her not to use magic and she didn't, the town asked her to remain mayor and she did. She hasn't so much as called anyone an 'idiot'; don't you think that eventually she'll think redemption is pointless if you don't actually let her redeem herself?"

Henry thought this through for a moment, the woman made a lot of sense, but a voice in his mind kept telling him that she was evil, and once a villain, always a villain.

"She's the Evil Queen," he said somewhat weakly.

"Henry..." Snow sighed.

"I need to use the restroom," he said before she could finish.

The princess nodded, and sat alone for a few minutes before the diner door opened to reveal her daughter.

Emma fell into the seat opposite her, and said, "I have no idea what to get a queen."

Snow laughed and offered the other woman some of her fries, which she promptly took.

"Flowers?" she suggested.

Emma shook her head and swallowed a handful of fries, "too lame, I guess I don't actually know her that well," she sighed.

Snow bit her lip, and refrained from mentioning her theories, she was still a long way from being ready and she imagined that her daughter wasn't completely ready either. "I guess Henry is the only person who could actually know what to get her, but he doesn't really want to help."

Emma nodded, and then with a fry half way to her mouth, she furrowed her brow at the other plate of food in front of her, "where is the kid?"

"He went to use the restroom."

"How long ago?" Emma asked cautiously.

"About five minutes ago, why?"

"Did he not bring a backpack out with him?"

Snow's widened and she said, "he ran away."

"What did you say to him?" Emma asked with a sigh, she wasn't really mad at her mother, she knew that her son would never actually run out of Storybrooke, and he did tend to run and hide whenever he was told something he didn't agree with.

"I just suggested that Regina isn't as evil as he thinks," she explained.

Emma's eyes widened, and she decided that this change of heart was definitely something that they had to talk about later, before they both stood and silently agreed that they were going to search for Henry.

* * *

Henry ran as fast as he could, taking the route that he often did when he went hiking through the woods with his grandfather.

He continued to run down the path, until he reached the familiar log that he and David often sat on to take a break, and he allowed himself to fall heavily on it.

He wasn't even sure why he had run away, it was just something that he naturally felt like doing whenever something got difficult, and the conversation about Regina was certainly something he wasn't comfortable participating in. He just had so many conflicting feelings for the woman he had known as his mother for so many years, that he hated having to talk about it with someone, especially when he was trying to convince them, and himself, that she was evil.

Once his breathing had returned to normal, he stood from the log and tried to decide what he should do next. He knew that Emma would be able to find him so long as he stayed in Storybrooke, so he just began to walk forward. He had never been this far into the forest, and certainly not alone, he had to admit that he was rather curious.

About five minutes later, he saw something that was the last thing he ever expected to see in the woods: a mansion.

He began to run through his options in his mind, and he knew that it was probably a bad idea, but he felt indescribably drawn to the building so he just started to walk towards the front door.

Once he made it to the wooden door, he ran his hand across it to find that there seemed to be no lock as it slightly opened at his touch.

Henry swallowed hard, and considered turning back, until something caught his attention through the crack in the door. instantly he pushed the door the rest of the way open, and walked towards the bookcase that seemed to be full of copies of his storybook.

Without much more thought, he ran his hand over the spines of a few of them, and then made to pull one off the shelf.

"I wouldn't do that," a male voice called from behind the curious pre-teen.

Henry jumped and then turned to see a man dressed very much like he still belonged in the Enchanted Forest, he was dressed as if he were some kind of noble. He had an innocent looking face, and an inviting smile, but Henry knew better than to trust a strange man, so he took a step back and considered his options, but he couldn't see a way out. Strangely, he began to wish not for Emma to find him, but for Regina, so he desperately tried to push those feelings away.

"I'm sorry, I'll leave..." he began.

The man held up his hand to stop him, and then said, "it may not be as wise as you would believe to learn the whole story."

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked, some of his tension fell away as he suddenly felt like this man was no danger, he felt nothing but a strange curiosity. "Who are you?"

The man held his hand over his heart and sighed dramatically, "do you have any idea how much it hurts to have your only reader not be familiar with who you are?"

Henry tilted his head, and considered the implications of the man's words, "you wrote my storybook?"

The man looked gratified when the boy understood, and said, "Isaac, though I suppose formally I am known as the author."

"Author of what?"

"Of everything," he laughed, "it is my job to visit all realms and record the most interesting tales that they have to offer, and let me tell you, this Storybrooke certainly has more than it's fair share of interesting characters."

Henry nodded in agreement, though he was secretly excited that such a position even existed.

"So do you want me to leave?" the boy asked after a moment.

Isaac inspected the boy for a moment, and replied, "most people don't actually like the idea of learning the whole truth."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked with a furrowed brow.

"A good story has a beginning, middle and end, right?" he said, which earned him a nod from the brunette, "well it can be difficult to understand the characters whose stories began long before the narrative. Particularly villains, they often get written off as evil and so they get what they deserve, but what most people don't see is that they have their own personal motivations. Most people grew up believing that the Evil Queen went after Snow White because she was the 'fairest of the them all' but they don't know, or don't care, that there is far more to the story. There are details that add too much to the character and therefore make it impossible to just label her as a villain, and most people believe that would make for a bad story. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Your saying that if a villain has an excuse, they're not evil?" Henry asked.

Isaac shook his head and laughed lightly, "of course not, I'm saying that everything isn't black and white. I understand that it's hard to see now, but your mother went through some pretty terrible things that influenced her later behaviour. Honestly, out of all of the characters I've written, she really does get screwed over the most, I would say that she has been rather resilient."

"She's evil," Henry weakly replied.

"And yet you still think of her as a good mother, have you not considered that there is a difference between the Evil Queen and Regina Mills, almost as if she took on her own cursed identity."

Henry thought about this for a moment, before he said, "why do you even care?"

Isaac smiled sadly and replied, "my predecessor saw things in a rather black and white manner just as you do, he believed that evil was evil and good was good, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, you've seen his movies."

Henry's mouth fell open as he realised who the man was talking about, and he stood there in the rather comical position as the author continued, "it was completely unfair that even when redeemed, he believed that villains shouldn't get their happy endings, so I aim to change that."

"By giving the Evil Queen a happy ending?" Henry asked sceptically.

"I'm simply facilitating it," Isaac replied, before walking towards the bookcase, and pulling one of the tomes off.

Handing it to Henry, the boy turned it over to see embossed upon its front 'Regina Mills.'

"What is this?"

"The full story, or at least the full story if things continue as they have. Just give the woman who raised you one chance, read the book and make your choice."

"Henry," someone called and ran through the door.

The boy turned to see his blonde mother and his grandmother, Emma holding her phone with a GPS tracking his own phone.

Emma looked at the boy holding a book questioning, and said, "what are you doing with your storybook kid?"

Henry was about to protest, before he noticed that Isaac must have disappeared when the door had burst open.

Looking down, he saw the words had changed to the familiar 'Once Upon A Time,' and that the bookcase behind him was now completely empty.

The brunette blinked a few times, and wondered for a moment if he had ate anything bad, before he just shook his head and walked over to the people who were planning to take him home.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed, reviews would be much appreciated XD**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Henry sat on his bed staring at his new storybook.

Though he had doubted the legitimacy of his meeting with Isaac, as soon as he had gotten home, the 'Once Upon A Time' had reverted back to 'Regina Mills'. He guessed that it had something to do with Emma and Snow being in the room. Isaac clearly wanted him to make the decision himself, and he was more than tempted to just open the book and find out the truth. A part of him hoped that he would be given a reason to go back to his mother, but the more vocal part of his mind was convinced that by reading about the Evil Queen's past, he would simply be given more reasons to hate her. After all, there was no justifying the kind of evil that she ruled her kingdom with.

Hours had passed since he had talked to the author, since he had tried to distract himself with videogames and then dinner with his 'family'. But now that he was supposed to be going to bed, he couldn't help but think about the book, which only made him feel intense guilt.

He used to love giving his mother gifts, and even as a former queen, she never scoffed at the various handmade presents and cards. She always ate the no doubt disgusting breakfasts that his younger self had made. Overall, she was just always really happy on her birthday, and all Henry could imagine was the downward turned expression she would probably be wearing tomorrow.

That thought forced him to snap the book open, and he instantly furrowed his brow when he saw that the pages were all blank.

Running his hand over the page, he was about to let out a sigh and deem that the Author had tricked him for some reason, before a voice stopped him from just closing the tome and going to sleep.

"Not everything can be read about, some things you have to see to appreciate."

Henry's head snapped up, and he stared at Isaac for a moment considering yelling for Emma's help, but then he realised that she was probably still trying to find a gift, so he just sat up straighter and slightly moved away from the man.

"Then why did you give me a book?" he asked sceptically.

Isaac smiled good-naturedly and replied, "Your mother's life is full of complexities that would be difficult to put to paper. Why do you think your storybook is missing out so much of her life?"

"So...what are you talking about?"

"If you wish to know more, then I know just the people to show you, if you just agree," the Author said.

Henry narrowed his eyes and thought about saying no and just throwing the book at the weird man, but once again his curiosity got the better of him, and he nodded cautiously.

Isaac's smile broadened and he waved his hand, instantly an image appeared on the blank page.

"Who is this?" Henry asked, looking very confused as he ran his hand over the illustration of a somewhat familiar looking man.

"He will be your guide through the past," Isaac explained, "simply reach into the book and your journey can begin."

Henry tilted his head, he knew that what the man had said would have sounded ridiculous to anyone else, but he did have a tendency to believe in the unbelievable.

It was for this reason that, when he reached into the image, he had no doubt that his hand wouldn't be stopped by the paper.

The boy took in a sharp intake of breath as soon as he opened his eyes, and found that he was no longer sitting on his bed, but instead in a place that he had always dreamed of going to: the Enchanted Forest.

He began looking around with a huge grin on his face as he took in the miles of greenery, with the large stately home sitting in the middle of it.

"Awesome!" he laughed.

"Why thank you," someone replied from behind him, "it's not often that I have heard my home described as 'awesome'."

Henry jumped and turned around, instantly he was faced with the familiar face of the man who was supposedly his 'guide'.

"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.

The man tilted his head, and replied with a small smirk, "should I be insulted that my own namesake doesn't recognise me?"

Henry's mouth fell open as he finally recognised the man from his other storybook, and he said, "You're Henry Sr?"

The man nodded with a gratified look, and he said, "I suppose you're too stubborn to consider me your grandfather?"

Henry didn't reply and the man just let out a resigned sigh, "no matter, I'm here to show you the past, not to force another relative upon you."

The smaller Henry was silent for a moment, before he said, "are you a ghost?"

"I suppose, why?" the man laughed.

"So you're trying to help her even though she killed you for her curse?"

"If by 'her' you mean my daughter, then yes, of course I am trying to help her. It hurt to watch her be miserable for eighteen years, but then she adopted you and she finally seemed to get the happy ending that she was hoping for, but then of course the curse had to be broken eventually," he sighed, "but that doesn't change the fact that I gave my life for her happiness, so not even death could stop me from making sure that she gets it. Whether you know it or not, you are the linchpin to her that happiness."

"You don't think that it's wrong for her to latch onto a ten year old for happiness?"

Henry Sr. raised his eyebrows, and replied, "to begin with, yes I'll admit it's rather unhealthy. But your acceptance could mean a deeper level of happiness, though I believe that it is my job to show you the past, not to discuss the future."

Henry was about to protest that he was just more confused now, before he felt a shift and had to blink a few times once he realised that he was now indoors.

"What was that?"

"Would you rather we have had to walk," the older man laughed, "I'm here to show you your mother, not to walk to our destination."

Henry rolled his eyes, and finally noticed his surroundings to be some kind of library.

He let out a little surprised sound when he saw a girl about his age sitting at one of the tables reading. Though the long hair and flowing dress was a little disconcerting, it was clear that this was Regina's younger self.

"Her life doesn't look that bad," he commented, as he continued to take in her lush surroundings.

His adoptive grandfather didn't say word and simply waited for what would happen next.

A few seconds later, another young girl ran into the room with a huge smile on her face, "why didn't you tell me it's your birthday?" she asked.

Regina looked over her book with a raised eyebrow and replied, "how did you find out, Rose?"

"My mom told me," she said as if it were obvious, and then taking the seat across from her friend continued, "She said she's making you a cake."

Regina scoffed and said, "Mother wouldn't let me eat cake."

Rose tilted her head and asked, "I'm pretty sure queens eat cake, Regina."

The brunette laughed and rolled her eyes, before replying, "I meant because I'm still being punished for last week."

Rose sighed and leaned back in her chair, "we just picked some apples instead of you reading; you know you could have just blamed me."

"And then she would have fired your mother and I would have no one to talk to."

"But it's your birthday, she can't seriously just ignore that fact," the servant sighed.

"She's done it before."

"What about your father, surely he'll at least allow you to have cake."

"Mother said that insubordination shouldn't be rewarded, no matter the date, father would never try and go against her," Regina replied with a sad smile, before making to pick up the book.

Rose placed her hand on the book and said, "she doesn't have to know, it's just cake Regina."

Regina smiled and was about to agree, until she looked up at the door and her smile dropped.

For a moment, Henry thought that she was looking straight at him, until he turned around to see a scowling woman standing in the doorway. He didn't immediately recognise her, but he did see a certain resemblance that told him that she was the Cora woman Emma had mentioned.

Turning back to Regina, he furrowed his brow at the look of terror on her face. He understood being afraid of discipline, but this looked like more than being afraid, the young brunette wore an expression of complete and utter terror.

"Mother?" Regina asked apprehensively, "I thought you said you and father were planning to go into town."

Cora raised her eyebrow, and walked straight past the invisible versions of her future grandson and her husband, and said, "well last time we left, you abandoned your studies and now it would appear that you are about to be led astray again."

"I was just..." Regina began, only to be cut off.

"What is your name?" the older woman asked.

Rose clearly took a moment to stop herself from scowling at the woman who she should have considered to be her master, and replied, "Rose ma'am."

Cora inspected the little girl distastefully and said, "and what is your fascination with distracting my daughter?"

Rose gulped audibly and said, "I was just thinking that because it's her birthday she should get..."

"You believe that she should be rewarded just for being born?" Cora laughed cruelly, "unless she amounts to anything, I would say that it isn't much to celebrate. Once she is queen she will have an entire kingdom celebrating her birthday. Is that not better?"

Rose looked like she was about to protest, but Regina quickly shook her head making her friend clamp her mouth shut.

Henry furrowed his brow, the scene was somewhat confusing. He had always assumed that Regina was some kind of princess before she became the Evil Queen, but the fact that she seemed to live in an estate contradicted that theory. She was obviously still some kind of nobility, but he still couldn't help but think that her mother seemed unnaturally intent on making her the ruling monarch, and judging by the way she seemed to treat her daughter, he guessed that she would go to any lengths to make sure it happened.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I'll leave her to her studies," Rose said as she jumped up to do as she said she would.

Cora held up her hand and replied, "I would like to be able to leave my home safe in the knowledge that my daughter is doing as I have told her to, therefore, I clearly cannot have servants who are so intent on distracting her. Tell your mother that I no longer require her services, I expect you both off my property after she has prepared dinner."

Regina looked up at her mother pleadingly and said, "please mother...Rose is my only friend."

"Then it is clear that having a friend is not something that I should allow."

"But..." Rose tried.

"I believe I've already told you what I wanted you to do," Cora said without even sparing the girl a glance.

The girl nodded and offered Regina a little wave before making her way to break the news to her mother.

Once the girl had left, Cora looked at Regina almost daring her to dispute what had just happened, "now I believe you have much reading to do, dear."

Regina looked down at her book with tears clear in her eyes, and said with a tight jaw, "yes mother."

With a satisfied grin, the child's mother turned on her heel and left the room, not even mentioning the fact that it was her daughter's birthday.

Regina picked up her book and began to studiously read, making Henry turn to his fellow invisible man.

"Why would she do that?" he asked incredulously.

"Cora was obsessed with Regina becoming queen, and she believed that anything that got in the way of that should be gotten rid of," Henry Sr. replied with a sigh, "she led quite the lonely childhood."

Henry blinked a few times, and suddenly felt another shift. When he opened his eyes, he found himself outside again, "will you stop doing that?" he asked, as he tried to get the nausea to subside.

The older man laughed and shook his head, "you should really get used to it."

Henry rolled his eyes and fell back against a tree, "what now? Are you going to convince me that all the people she hurt deserved it?"

Henry Sr. raised his eyebrow and retorted, "did she deserve to be tortured by her own mother?"

"Tortured? Aren't you being a bit dramatic?"

His grandfather said nothing in reply, and instead, the ten-year-old heard the neighing of horses, along with a giggle carried by the wind.

Henry looked over to see two teens riding, clearly both having the time of their lives.

The boy concentrated on his mother's face, and concluded that she was about sixteen or seventeen, and she looked genuinely happy. It was the kind of smile that he only ever saw when they were at home, one that would always fall away the moment that they left the house and were met with the townspeople.

Henry realised that while in his thoughts, he had failed to recognise the horses coming closer until their riders had already jumped off and took a seat under a nearby tree.

"How did you convince mother to increase my riding lesson?" Regina asked once she had gotten her breath back.

"Well it is your birthday," the boy replied with a tilted head.

"That wouldn't have convinced her Daniel," Regina laughed.

Henry's mouth fell open slightly. He had often asked where his middle name had come from, but Regina had always been very vague, just mentioning an old friend who was dear to her. But now that he was faced with this 'old friend', he could see that it was much more than friendship that made her name her son after him. They each seemed to be trying to get as close as possible to each other, Regina was leaned into the boy's side, it was clear to even a casual watcher that they were in love.

"Okay, so maybe she doesn't know," Daniel replied, while biting his lip.

Regina sat up and looked at him seriously, "are you insane?"

"Calm down, Gina," he chuckled, and pulled her back into his side, "I bribed your tutor to act as if your studies couldn't be interrupted today. Your mother will think that you are having some kind of deep intellectual conversation."

"You bribed her?" Regina asked after a raised eyebrow, "with what?"

"Money, what else?"

"Daniel..."

"Calm down Regina, I still had enough to get you a present," he laughed.

"A present?"

"For your birthday, you're not very receptive are you?" he chuckled.

"I don't get many gifts."

"Your father brought you a horse," Daniel replied with a furrowed brow.

"That was just to irritate mother," Regina laughed.

"Surely there are cheaper ways to irritate her."

Regina shrugged, "at least she let me keep Rocinante."

Daniel nodded and pulled himself away from her, "well hopefully she'll let you keep this gift," he smiled.

Regina tilted her head, but her eyes instantly widened as the stable boy dropped to one knee, "will you marry me, Regina?"

The teen looked at the boy in shock for several moments, before her mouth spread into the widest smile that Henry had ever seen, "yes," she almost shouted, before launching forward to capture his lips.

The moment was instantly interrupted by a scream being carried over to them from across the field.

Henry turned to see a girl in the distance holding on for dear life as her horse ran wildly.

Before he could question what was happening, he heard someone from behind him jump up onto their horse. His eyes widened as he realised his supposedly evil mother was going to save that little girl from certain death without a second thought.

After yet another blink, he found himself standing next to a shaken, but very much saved little girl, who was desperately hugging her saviour.

"It's okay, you're safe," Regina assured and the girl finally pulled away.

"Thank you," the girl sniffled.

"What's your name?" the older girl asked, clearly trying to think of a way to distract her.

"Snow White."

Henry's eyes widened as he looked at the younger version of his grandmother. It had never quite occurred to him just how close in age Regina and Snow were, but now with this image before him, it was hard to deny. He realised that somehow, Regina must have ended up married to Snow's father instead of Daniel. She had been forced to give up her happy ending to be a mother to someone who was old enough to be her sister.

The smile on Regina's face showed no hatred towards the princess, and he knew that Snow must have done something that caused his mother to hate her so completely.

Henry turned questioningly to the older Henry, who instantly knew what the boy was asking.

"Cora arranged for Snow's horse to go out of control. She knew that Regina would save her, which would earn the favour of King Leopold. Not long from now, your mother is going to try and refuse his proposal, but she doesn't know that her mother has already accepted it for her."

Henry nodded and swallowed hard, "and Daniel?"

Henry Senior's face turned solemn, and he replied, "it would probably be best if I show you."

The younger boy was about to protest, but once again he felt a shift and this time found himself in a stable.

Regina and Daniel were happily embracing, and he pulled away and asked, "are you sure you wish to run away, what of your father?"

"He can find us," Regina replied with a smile, "we just need to get away from mother and we can be happy."

"But that child knows about our plans, what if she tells?"

"Daniel, calm down," she laughed, "Snow promised that she understood why it needed to be kept a secret, she will not tell my mother."

"I would not count on the promise of a princess, Regina."

The colour instantly drained from Regina's face, and she turned to see her mother standing at the entrance of the stables.

"Mother..." she choked out.

"I am very disappointed in you," Cora sighed as she glided forward towards the pair, "have I not raised you better? Honestly, why would you choose a stable boy over a king?"

Regina moved forward to stand in front of her finance and replied, "because I love Daniel, I do not wish to marry Leopold."

"You may think that now, dear, but you are just an idiotic teenager. Face it, you need my direction to ensure that you do not live in misery, and what could be more miserable than being without money and power?"

"I do not wish for either," Regina protested, "I will be happy because I have love."

Cora laughed and said, "oh dear, have you not yet learned, love is weakness."

"You're wrong," her daughter replied with a shaking voice.

With a flick of her wrist, Regina was shifted to the side, violently hitting the stable wall and then being held in place with an invisible magical barrier.

"Mother...please," Regina cried.

Cora approached Daniel, and Henry turned to his ghostly companion.

"Okay, I get it, please take me away."

Henry Sr. shook his head, and put his hand on the boy's shoulders turning him back to the scene before him. He knew that it was a rather harsh lesson for the boy, but he needed to fully understand his mother.

Cora's hand sank into the man's chest, and as she ripped out the glowing red organ, he fell to the ground in agony.

"Mother!" Regina screamed, but once again she went ignored.

The future Queen of Hearts applied pressure, and Daniel began to writhe in pain.

Finally, after several moments, the heart turned to dust and Regina was released from her temporary imprisonment.

The girl instantly dropped to her knees, and began to shake her fiancé's shoulders.

"Daniel," she cried, when she got no reply, she began to shake more violently.

"Come now, dear, it won't do to look that way when you formally accept the king's proposal."

Regina looked up at her mother, Henry could practically see venom dripping from her tear stained face.

He expected some kind of retaliation, but instead, she simply stood with shaking shoulders and made an attempt to wipe the tears from her face.

"Yes mother," she said in a hoarse voice.

"Oh and dear," Cora said with a smile, causing her sniffling daughter to turn with all the hatred she held for the woman clear on her face, "happy birthday."

/

"Henry," Emma called up the stairs.

Said boy blinked a few times, and took a moment to realise that he was now back in his bedroom.

Looking down, he saw that the page was now blank. The only evidence that anything had actually happened was the tears he could feel staining his face.

"What?" he called back once he was sure it wouldn't sound hoarse.

"I know you don't want to help me find a gift, but I really need you to help."

Henry nodded with a sigh and replied, "I'll be down in a minute."

The young brunette jumped off his bed and then went to wash his face.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed XD**

 **Reviews would be much appreciated**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

"Are you alright, kid?" Emma asked as the boy came down the stairs, "you look pale."

Henry blinked out of his thoughts of what he had seen and dropped onto the couch after making the short walk over to it.

"I'm just tired," he mumbled, "what do you want?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at her son for a moment, but ultimately decided to let it side considering how desperate she had become. It was now nine at night and she had yet to find the perfect present for the woman she wished she knew well enough to be able to easily buy presents for, preferably every year for the rest of her life, but she had already decided to try and get through this year without being fireballed and then face her feelings for the infuriating mayor.

"I told you what I want," she sighed and fell back onto the stool that she had stood up from when she had heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Henry nodded and thought for a moment, "she likes lots of things."

The blonde sighed dramatically, and replied, "I'm going to need more than that, kid."

"I don't know," he sighed, "I've never gotten her a gift, I always made them."

Oh right, he's ten, Emma thought and grinned slightly at the thought of a young Henry slaving over a art project to give to his 'mommy'.

"I can't exactly take the route, Henry."

The brunette nodded, and bit his lip in concentration, "she likes apples."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Emma scowled.

Henry sat up with a clearly defensive look on his face as he replied, "no it wasn't, you can't exactly say that she doesn't."

Emma held up her hands in surrender, and asked, "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he snapped, "I'm just being kept up because you can't pick a gift."

The blonde's eyebrows shot up as she suddenly felt as though she were being yelled at by Regina, the shockingly similar expression making her forget that Henry and his adoptive mother technically didn't share any DNA.

"So you want me to give her an apple?"

"Why are you even asking? I already said that I don't want to give her a gift," he grumbled.

Emma rolled her eyes and replied, "fine, go to bed then."

Instantly, Henry jumped up off the couch and ran upstairs.

As soon as he was upstairs, Emma sighed and walked over to her mother's bed, that was hidden behind the curtain, and fell onto it.

Snow looked down at her daughter with a small smile for a moment, before she sat up and said, "well that went well."

Emma scoffed, before she furrowed her brow and sat up slightly, supporting herself on her elbows, "did he seem weird to you?"

"He seemed torn between helping and not," Snow commented.

"And yesterday he seemed adamant not to help," Emma returned.

"Did he at least help?"

The sheriff was about to reply 'no', before she saw a necklace on the bedside table.

Reaching across, she grabbed it and said, "can I have this?"

Snow tilted her head and looked at the simple plain pendant that she had almost forgotten she had. Honestly, she was sure that she was still at heart a princess considering all of the jewelry she insisted on hoarding and never wearing.

"You're going to give Regina a plain, second-hand necklace?" she laughed.

Emma shook her head and continued to stare at the blank surface, "no, the kid gave me an idea."

"I didn't peg you as the artist type."

The blonde looked up at her mother with a half grin, "I may need to steal some more necklaces to practice on."

* * *

Henry ran up the stairs and fell onto his bed.

He had been so torn between trying to help his mother and thinking that she was still the Evil Queen. He kept telling himself that what he had seen didn't excuse what he had read in his first storybook, but he had to admit that he couldn't just see her as evil anymore. For a woman who clearly had no real maternal presence, he couldn't deny that she had made the perfect mother. He was coming to realise that everything he had based his hate on had happened in the past.

For months, Regina had been the model citizen, she certainly deserved at least an acknowledgement that she existed, especially on her birthday.

All in all, he was definitely more confused than he had been earlier that day, and he was beginning to see just how stubborn he was being.

"I suppose one was not enough?"

This time, Henry didn't even jump at the unexpected voice, and simply looked up at Isaac.

"Being treated badly doesn't mean she has the right to treat other's badly," he replied instantly, finally voicing what he had been thinking since he had come back to the present.

Isaac tilted his head and replied, "but it certainly gives everything more context, does it not?"

Henry took a deep breath, trying to stop his thoughts from drifting back to his mother's teenaged version's look of utter anguish as her first love died.

Through gritted teeth, he said, "she still doesn't deserve to not be punished."

"And what is punishment to Regina?" Isaac pondered aloud.

Henry's eyes widened as he straightaway realised the answer was his absence, "are you saying she has been punished enough?"

"Would you say that Storybrooke is better than the Enchanted Forest?"

Henry narrowed his eyes as the Author seemingly was trying to change the subject and replied, "of course it isn't, everything is way cooler there."

"And your basing this off a storybook," Henry nodded, and Isaac continued, "a storybook that missed out so much? Did you know that almost every person who caught the flu there died?"

Henry furrowed his brow as it hit him that almost every horrifying little fact he knew about medieval society more than likely applied in the Enchanted Forest. Every technological and medical advance that he and Emma took for granted didn't exist there. The security that he was used to living under was something that only Royals would have gotten there.

"What does that have to do with this?"

"The curse brought people to a place that is safer and more comfortable than the Enchanted Forest could ever hope to be."

"She took away everyone's happy endings!" he argued, "she broke up Snow White and Prince Charming."

"And Snow White told Cora of a secret that got Daniel murdered, then for years she had to raise the child as her own while in a unhappy marriage. Certainly that makes her less evil than simply basing her vendetta upon her step-child being 'the fairest of them all'. Besides. now that the happy endings are back, does anyone seem miserable about the fact of being in Storybrooke?"

Henry bit his lip and allowed the answer that Regina was now the only miserable person in a town that she had created solely to be her happy ending to go unsaid.

"Okay fine, she is being punished...but she still deserves it," he sighed weakly.

Isaac inspected the boy for a moment and finally pointed at the book strewn on his bed, "I believe it's time for your next journey."

Henry looked over at the book and pulled it over onto his lap, "so what? You're going to show me how miserable she is in the present and convince me that she doesn't deserve it?"

The Author smirked and shook his head, with a flourish of his hand, he replied, "I am not going to show you anything."

Henry rolled his eyes, and reached into the page without even bothering to look at the image of his new 'guide.'

Instantly, he found himself on Main Street.

For a split second, he felt blush rise up his cheeks as he thought about the fact he was essentially standing in the middle of town in his dinosaur onesie. Finally he relaxed as he realised no one could see him, just like last time.

"Are you okay, Henry?"

The boy felt a certain familiar calm come over him and turned to see Archie.

"Your not dead," he finally commented.

The former cricket smiled good naturedly and replied, "but I am a conscience."

"So your not really here?"

"I suppose it depends on how you think about it. You have surely had enough sessions with me to imagine what I would say in most situations. So while I am not physically here, Isaac has used my influence to create a guide to the present."

"But that means that you can't tell me anything I don't already know," Henry replied with a furrowed brow.

"Knowing something and admitting something are very different things, Henry, all it requires is the Author's knowledge of what is going to happen."

Henry thought about this for a moment and finally just shrugged, "fine, can we get this over and done with?"

Archie nodded, and after the familiar disorientating shift of environment, he found himself in the kitchen of his official home.

For a moment he felt the same calm that he always used to feel when he was at home, and managed to shake it off as he heard the sound of clicking heels.

Henry turned and saw his mother holding a file in her hand and making her way to the coffee maker.

"She looks fine," he commented.

Archie remained silent and waited for Henry to come to the realisation on his own, finally he looked over her outfit and said indignantly, "she never goes to work on her birthday!"

The therapist nodded and replied, "what does she have to stay at home for?"

Henry blinked a few times and thought back to their tradition that each of them took the day off for their birthdays. He knew that the woman obsessed with attendance must have threatened the school in some way to mark him as present, but he could still admit that those had been some of the most fun days of his life.

A knock at the door interrupted Henry's confused emotions from making themselves known, and both he and his fellow ghost followed the mayor to it.

Yanking the door open, she rolled her eyes and said, "what do you want, Miss Swan?"

Emma looked taken aback for a moment, but then again, Henry realised, that she always looked that way around his mother, he just hadn't considered why.

"Er..." she began, and then she put her foot forward to stop the door from slamming in her face, "I'm here to say Happy Birthday."

Regina stared at the woman blankly for a second and finally replied, "I don't need your pity sheriff."

Emma took a calming breath, and said, "I'm not pitying you Regina."

"Whatever you say," Regina shot back, and was once again stopped from closing the door, "what else could you possibly want?!"

Emma rolled her eyes and out of her back pocket pulled out a card and handed it to the brunette.

Regina took and stared at it for a moment, before asking, "may I close my door now?"

"Will you just let me get through this Regina?" Emma almost shouted.

"Get through what?" the brunette asked incredulously.

"I'm trying to..." the blonde trailed off, and just reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a box, "give you your present."

Regine looked completely dumbstruck as she looked at the velvet box that no doubt contained jewelry.

Henry felt guilt spring up as he realised that she had probably not received a gift from another adult in a long time, and he looked over at Archie who was intently watching the scene.

"What is it?" Regina asked in a softer voice allowing her arm to fall away from the door and Emma removed her foot.

"There's one way to find out," Emma smirked.

Regina nodded, and lightly pulled the lid off the box, almost as if she were afraid that the present could disappear, and then she pulled out a pendant necklace with an apple engraved upon its surface.

"Where did you get this?"

"Do you not know how birthdays work?" Emma laughed.

"Emma..." Regina began and then seemed to think better of it.

Henry furrowed his brow as he tried to analyse the look on his mother's face. He was used to seeing affection aimed at him, but never at another person. In this moment, he could almost swear that he saw something deeper than the usual contempt that Regina wore in the presence of his birth mother.

"So you like it?" the blonde asked hopefully, "because it was very painful to make," she added while holding up her cut covered hand.

Regina took a deep breath and seemed to be carefully considering her next move, until finally she opened the door wider, much to Emma's surprise.

"I have something to give to you."

"You really don't know how birthdays work, do you?" Emma laughed, but despite this, she still followed the other woman as she led her into the kitchen.

Regina walked straight over to the island and stood at the papers she had left there when the door had been knocked a few minutes before.

For a few moments, she stood there silently just looking at what she had drafted up and had been painstakingly going over for a few weeks. Finally, she grabbed a pen and signed the line that she had been staring at for a while.

Henry inspected the anguish on her face and began to feel serious foreboding as to the contents of the file she had been holding.

Emma seemed to have the same thought, as she made her way over to the other woman, and asked, "are you okay?"

Unexpectedly, Regina turned around and found herself closer to the saviour than she had ever been, and she suddenly clamped her mouth shut at the proximity.

Henry recognised the nervous expression from the many T.V. shows that he had watched, but never had he even imagined that he would see it upon his mother's face.

As the woman stared at each for a second, seemingly having a silent conversation, Henry's eyes widened, "no way," he breathed.

Archie looked over at him with a satisfied smirk and asked, "does it really surprise you?"

"I guess not," the boy answered after a moment, as the revelation began to shine a different light on some of the pairs other conversations.

"The saviour and the Evil Queen makes a good story wouldn't you say?"

Henry nodded as he only half concentrated on the man's words, but finally looked at him and said, "so the point of this is to show me that she can be happy with Emma?"

Archie shook his head, and Henry furrowed his brow, and turned back to the scene.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked again, after clearing her throat.

"Shut up," Regina said quickly.

"What?" Emma laughed, looking thoroughly confused.

Regina rolled her eyes and finally brought her arms around the blonde's neck and as if on instinct, Emma snaked her arms around the smaller woman's waist.

After each woman took another moment to consider this, Regina pulled the blonde down and crashed their lips together.

Henry watched and was completely surprised when he realised that he didn't find this to be strange or wrong, in fact it looked like one of the most natural things in the world. They parted for a second, and finally, Regina put her hand against the blonde's chest, pushing her away slightly.

Emma blinked a few times, clearly trying to decide if that had actually happened, and then dropped her arms from the mayor's waist as she did the same for her neck.

"Is that what you wanted to give me?" the blonde breathed.

Regina shook her head and fell back against the counter, "no," she said, pain clear in her voice.

Emma furrowed her brow, she had been under the impression that was the greatest kiss to have ever happened to anyone in the history of the world, but Regina looked somehow disappointed.

"Regina?"

Said woman looked up at the blonde and sighed. A few moments later, she turned and gathered up the papers, "this is what I wanted to give you."

"This isn't the time for paperwork, Regina," Emma laughed nervously.

"Trust me, this is very important."

Emma nodded and looked down at the first words, instantly her head shot up and she began to vigorously shake it, "adoption dissolution?!"

Regina nodded and picked up the pen from the counter, "sign the last page and Henry will once again legally be your child."

The invisible boy let out a little gasp, Regina had sworn that she would never stop fighting for him , but now it would seem that she had finally had enough.

"But...you kissed me."

Regina nodded and Henry noticed a split second change in emotion as she brought her walls back up and instantly he knew what was going to happen.

"It was just a test, Miss Swan, and I'm afraid you failed."

"What?" Emma asked in a hollow voice, sounding almost like a lost puppy.

"Just sign the papers."

"Regina...you don't understand," she tried desperately.

The mayor seemed to work through multiple emotions at the same time and finally settled on indifference, "what don't I understand?"

"I...I love you."

Both Regina's and Henry's eyes widened at the admission, but Regina's quickly turned back to normal, whereas Henry's mouth fell open. He began imagining the three of them being a family, and the first

word that popped into his mind was 'awesome'.

Regina took a deep breath, and replied, "I...don't love you, Miss Swan."

Emma seemed to be blinking away a few tears and Henry almost felt as though he should shout at her for not being able to use her superpower in this moment, even he could tell that she was lying. If he had to guess though, he knew that she wouldn't believe that he would want her and Emma together, which was probably the only thing stopping her from just kissing the woman she loved again.

The blonde finally nodded and went back to the bigger issue, "Henry is still your son."

"But he doesn't want to be, and I have no interest in continuing the façade," she said as evenly as possible.

Emma suddenly felt all of her repressed abandonment issues spring forward and along with it came irrational anger.

Taking the pen, she signed the line that had a post-it pointing to it.

Just before she stormed off, she said, "fuck you, Regina."

As soon as the door slammed, Regina let out a shaky breath and turned to the counter.

Picking up the envelope that Emma had handed her, she carefully opened it and pulled out the glittery birthday card inside.

After some of his shock had cleared, Henry came forward and stood next to her.

He saw a lot more writing than he had ever seen in a card, but his eyes were instantly drawn to the final words that read, 'well anyway...I love you.'

Regina ran her finger over the words and finally allowed a tear to fall, and then bringing up her other hand that hadn't unclenched since she was at the door, she opened her hand to reveal the necklace.

Staring at it for a moment, and then clearly assuming she was alone, she whispered, "I love you too."

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed XD**

 **There should be one more chapter and then a epilogue so I hope you guys are looking forward to them :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Just adding a T/W for implied character death**

Chapter five

Henry took a heaving breath and found himself back in his bedroom where Isaac sat poised on his bed, looking expectantly at the boy who had just appeared out of thin air.

He inspected the brunette, whose face was stained with tears and stood up from the soft duvet.

Henry looked up at the man and was reassured that he was back in the present, and finally admitted what had now become clear, "she would give up her happiness because she's scared that I wouldn't approve."

Isaac nodded and a smile spread across his face, "is that something that the dreaded Evil Queen would do?"

Henry shook his head desperately and replied, "I get it okay, she's different now...but..."

The Author raised his eyebrows at the boy's indecision and said, "you're still not sure?"

Henry nodded and fell back against the wall with a sigh, and despite Isaac's expectant gaze, he offered no explanation for his silent answer.

"I suppose a scholar of the literary arts such as yourself can guess what comes next?"

Henry nodded again and refused to meet the older man's eyes as he thought about what his mother's future could possibly hold. Many scenarios ran through his mind, each as bad as the one before, and he felt his apprehension rise to untold levels at the thought of seeing it.

"Please don't," he almost begged though somehow he knew that it had to happen.

"The choice is yours young Henry, but can you understand a story without seeing its end?"

Henry was about to say that he didn't want to know, but once he looked down at the book on the floor, he was indescribably drawn to the tome. A moment later, he held the closed book in his hands, and looked clearly hesitant to open its leather cover.

He couldn't help but think that there was no way that he could see something more heartbreaking than what he had just witnessed, but somehow it also seemed very possible.

"It's your choice Henry," Isaac reminded him.

The boy nodded and with a shaking hand, brought his hand around the edge of the cover and turned it to find his guide to the future was just who he had expected.

After a blink, he once again found himself on Main Street, this time not sparing a thought to his onesie.

"Everything looks normal," he commented knowing exactly who was standing behind him

"Things often do when they are at their worst," Mr Gold replied as his grandson turned around.

"Are you a figment of my imagination too?" Henry sighed.

"Well it is very unlikely that I of all people could be a ghost, so of course I am," he laughed.

Henry nodded, he rather liked the idea of talking to someone who wasn't real, as opposed to his adoptive grandfather who seemed intent on judging the way that he had treated his daughter.

Suddenly the audible clicking of heels brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his mother walking down the street with a serious expression upon her face.

She looked as though she was contemplating something as she made her way down the deserted street, and Henry furrowed his brow when he realised that it was only six in the evening and yet Main Street was completely empty except for the mayor.

"What is she doing?" he asked.

Rumple looked over at the boy and replied, "she's just walking, you can't possibly think that everything she does is evil."

Henry rolled his eyes and tried again, "what is happening?"

"It's a special day," he replied.

The brunette nodded and said, "oh it's her birthday right?"

Rumple remained silent and Henry shot him a questioning look, until he looked back over at the former Evil Queen as she approached the diner.

For the first time he noticed that Granny's was lit up with the collective rabble of people talking sounding through the opening door.

Rumple began to follow her to the entrance and a second later Henry did the same.

As soon as the invisible pair entered behind the mayor, it became clear that it was someone's birthday, but the presence of Marvel 'birthday boy' decorations made it clear that it was not the grown woman's.

Nobody even seemed to spare the woman a glance as she made her way over to the counter and asked Ruby for a coffee which she began promptly making.

"Why is everyone ignoring her?" Henry finally asked.

"Because she has no longer given them any reason to fear her, but at the same time she hasn't attempted to make connections with any of them. This kind of indifference is something that she becomes very used to, except for from a select few," Rumple replied.

As if to prove the man's point, Regina shot a quick covert gaze over to a booth in the corner.

Henry followed her line of sight, and instantly he felt nothing but surprise at the sight of a a one handed man with his arm around his blonde mother.

"Is that Captain Hook?" he asked.

Rumple nodded with a small laugh, and said, "Miss Swan doesn't deal well with rejection and she soon found herself someone who had no reason to reject her."

"But mom just did it to make me happy," Henry finally admitted aloud.

"But the saviour doesn't know that, and your mother admitting that would somewhat destroy the sentiment, would it not?"

Henry didn't reply and simply watched the pain pass over Regina's face before she turned and accepted the coffee cup to go.

Once again secretly looking over at someone, Henry's mouth dropped open as he saw an image of himself chatting away to Hansel, each of them holding cake and joining in on ignoring the mayor.

Henry felt the urge to go over and slap the boy for treating her that way, and suddenly realised that he had done many more wrong things to the woman who raised him.

Once Regina was satisified that no one was looking at her, she made her way over to the gifts table and with a wave of her hand, an additional box appeared upon its surface.

With one final look at the boy who was no longer legally her son, she left the diner.

Henry stared at the spot she had just stood in for a moment before he finally realised something with widened eyes, "hang on, this is my birthday, not mom's."

Rumple nodded with a solemn look and replied, "I believe you have already seen her final birthday."

Henry tilted his head and worked through the implications of his grandfather's words, and after a moment, he felt his stomach drop as the meaning finally registered.

He was about to protest that it couldn't be possible, but he was interrupted by the now very familiar disorientating feeling that brought him outside where the ground was violently shaking and people were running around in a panic. Vines were shooting out of the ground, and yet Henry's first instinct was still to look up at the clock tower that read 10.00 O'clock.

"It's only been four hours" he said hollowly, desperately trying to put aside what Rumple had just revealed to him and hoping that he had just misinterpreted.

"A lot can happen in that space of time, for instance it took Regina four hours to travel from Storybrooke to Boston to meet you."

Henry nodded and watched as a vine ripped its way through the iconic structure, completely blowing the clock tower apart.

"What is happening?" he finally asked.

"It would hardly be fair for you to know the details, you are going to have to live through this crisis soon enough, but one difference can radically change the outcome."

The shaking suddenly stopped, and a burst of light later, everything returned to as it should have been.

Each townsperson began looking confusedly at each other.

Henry blinked and found himself inside the diner again where he found Emma and his grandparents sharing the same confused look as everyone else.

Hook held up a magic bean and said, "I take it we no longer need this."

Snow looked outsider for a moment and said, "I guess so."

"What the hell just happened?" asked as she came to stand next to her mother.

Snow shrugged and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Your town was just saved from certain destruction is what just happened," a male voice announced, and instantly the ghostly version of Henry felt his jaw drop as he recognised the voice.

Both Emma and David instantly drew their guns on the intruder who held up his hands in surrender.

"Who are you?" Emma asked.

"Isaac," he replied, and Henry noted that he looked more serious then he had ever seen him look. He didn't have any of the good natured smiles that he had become accustomed to.

The sheriff nodded though she still looked weary and lowered her gun, "and you know what happened?"

"Someone set off the towns failsafe in order to destroy the curse, eradicating Storybrooke and its people without a trace."

"Who would do that?" Snow asked with a furrowed brow.

"That is not important," Isaac ground out, "the important thing is the person who stopped it."

When no one made a reply, the Author explained, "it takes a lot of power to stop it."

"Who stopped it?" Charming asked, clearly he was running through the list of heroes in his mind, which was why he was unable to come to the correct answer.

"Regina."

As soon as the word left the man's lips, Emma shrugged Hooks hand off her shoulder and said, "where is she?"

"The mines," he replied.

Emma turned to her parents who each prompted for her to go.

"We'll get Henry from Ruby, go and find her," Snow said.

The blonde looked as though she wanted to question her mother's choice of words, but instead she just ran out of the door.

"Are you starting to guess what happened?" Rumple asked.

"No..." Henry breathed.

A moment later, he found himself standing in front of the Charming's couch where he and Emma each sat crossed legged staring at jewelry.

Henry furrowed his brow and looked up at Rumple who explained, "two days later, as much as Isaac wishes to teach you a lesson, he has no interest in scarring you with the image of your dead mother."

Henry blinked as his companion finally said aloud what had happened.

"What are they doing?" he asked after the shock fell away slightly.

"Mourning," his guide replied simply. "Regina died believing that you didn't love her and that Emma had moved on from her in a matter of weeks. She died alone in a mine to save a town of people that she didn't even like just for you and Emma."

Henry nodded listessly and then looked closely at the ring that his mirror image was sniffling over, "what's that?"

By way of answer, Rumple pointed to the table where a letter had been placed, Henry fell to his knees at the familiar handwriting and began reading:

Dear Henry

I understand that you may feel as though I am no longer your mother, but that doesn't change the fact that you will always be my little prince.

You will always be the person who brought light into my deeply blackened heart and for that I should thank you. You are the only person, with the exception of your namesake, who has loved me without a hidden agenda or goal. Even if that love was destroyed by my actions, I still wish for you to know that there is nothing you could ever do to take away the love I feel for you. I don't know how to love very well, and it is for that reason that I feel deeply that I have failed you. The way in which I expressed this affection was inappropriate, and I now see that it was wrong to place my happiness in the hands of a child, and for that I apologise.

Nine years of happiness is more than most get in a lifetime and it was certainly more than I ever thought I could achieve once I realised that the curse was not what I had planned for it to be. I have enjoyed every moment as your mother, and as much as I wish that I could have spent the rest of my life with that title, knowing that you have a loving mother will have to be enough, though it is never something that I will be able to adjust to.

I understand that you may be confused as to why I am writing this to you after so many months of silence.

The reason is that there is something I must do in order to ensure your safety and I am unsure as to whether I will get the chance or the courage +to tell you any of this. It saddens me that I will be unable to have this conversation with you in person, but this page will have to be the way in which I say my final farewells to you.

I know redemption is not something that should be freely given, and I agree that it was certainly something that I had to earn. After today, however, I hope that you will be able to find it in yourself to see me as more than the Evil Queen. I know that I am no longer a mother in your eyes, so at the very least I ask that you think of me as 'Regina'.

However, I will not leave you without first giving you your final birthday present from me.

This was always something that I had planned to give you when you would need it, but now will have to do. This ring has been passed down to each man in my family for five generations, and it is my hope that the woman you love will proudly wear it on her finger. I understand if you wish to use your grandfather's ring when the times comes, but I hope I will be able to find some comfort in the fact that I have given it to the only child that I will ever have.

I hope you will always know that I would have done anything to ensure your safety, even if it costs me my life.

Farewell my little prince,

Regina

Henry ran his ghostly finger over the final 'R' that was slanted as if it had started as an 'M' and took in a ragged breath.

"She planned to die?" he asked.

Rumple nodded and replied, "she knew that there was only one way to stop the trigger and that the Charming's would waste time until it was too late, or at least that's what she believed."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, looking up at the man with tears falling down his face.

"True love can be quite the powerful tool, imagine if she and Emma had worked together in order to order to prevent the town's destruction. I'm willing to bet that would have a far less tragic result."

Henry looked up at his blonde mother who was staring off into space, passing a very familiar necklace from hand to hand.

"Is that the present from mom's birthday?"

"Emma was devastated when she discovered that she was too late, but finding the necklace that she thought represented her rejection around Regina's neck, I think the saviour may have finally been broken," Rumple answered.

"Okay I get it," Henry finally shouted, tears now streaming full force down his face, "I need my mom, please just take me back to her."

"And what if it's too late, what if you have already burnt all of the bridges of your relationship?"

Henry began to shake his head vigorously, "no, it can't be too late, the whole point of this was another chance."

"Life isn't a fairytale, not every story ends how you expect it to," Rumple insisted, and this time when Henry opened his eyes, he found an older version of himself standing in a graveyard.

Henry looked to be about in his early twenties, and he sat crossed legged in front of a gravestone holding a quill and book which he was rapidly writing in.

The invisible younger version looked over his shoulder to see that his guide seemed to have left him and simply rolled his eyes at the empty space.

Turning back, he felt his heart contract at the words on the gravestone, 'Here lies Regina Mills: loving mother and hero of Storybrooke."

"Is this truly the best place to write?" someone asked as they approached the plot.

The older Henry looked up and offered Isaac a sad smile, "it's her birthday."

Isaac looked down at his apprentice and nodded, "I know."

"Birthdays were always the best day of the year, it was the only two days that I got to miss school and just hang out with her. Now it's just an awkward family dinner where everyone tries to pretend that my birthday isn't the anniversary of my mother's death. Well except Emma, she just stares off into space for hours."

Isaac offered the boy a supportive smile, and said, "it was certainly not the way that I would have had her story end," he sighed.

Henry furrowed his brow and then looked up, "then why did it?"

"Because Regina's story was written long before she was born, I could only ensure that she didn't die with no one's knowledge," Isaac replied cautiously, noting the hopeful look on the boy's face.

Henry jumped up and said, "what else could you change?"

Isaac held up his hand and said, "Henry, I've told you we are not allowed to change written stories."

"We're not changing the whole story, just the end," Henry said excitedly, "everythiing could be different if I had gotten her a gift on her birthday."

Isaac sighed and shook his head adamantly.

"Isaac, you are the Author now, if you had written the ending how would it have gone?"

Isaac took a deep breath and said, "I'll think about it."

The ghostly version watched the exchange with a dumbstruck expression until he felt himself being pulled away from the scene and opened his eyes to find himself back in his bedroom.

Isaac looked up at the appearing boy, and said "I was not lying when I said that I couldn't rewrite the story, but you can."

Henry took a second to get his bearings and wiped his face though it still remained tear stained, "how?"

"Though you will have to follow the rules when you become the Author, as part of this story you have a certain freedom to change the things around you."

Henry nodded and said, "thank you."

"I couldn't think what to get you for your birthday, and then I remembered your request. I figured if the truest believer thought it would work I should give it a shot, now go before it's too late to change the ending."

Henry smiled and ran down the stairs at a record pace to find his grandparents making breakfast.

Snow looked up and said, "you don't need to be up for half an hour."

"Where's Emma?" he breathed.

"She went to give Regina her birthday present," Charming replied.

Without further question, Henry dashed out of the door, and the couple in the kitchen exchanged a very confused look.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed**

 **Reviews would be much appreciated XD**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

"Henry wait," Snow shouted as she and her husband chased after the fleeing boy, just about managing to catch him before he made it out of the apartment building.

"I don't have time for this," he almost shouted as his grandfather grabbed his shoulder to stop his advancement.

"Where are you going?" Snow asked.

"I need to make sure that mon doesn't reject Emma because she thinks I wouldn't be okay with it. I need to make sure that she gets her happy ending before it's too late."

David let go of his arm and exchanged a look with his wife, "reject Emma?"

Snow shot him a sympathetic look and decided to explain her theories later, and then turned to Henry, "how can you know what is going to happen?"

Henry looked behind him, trying to figure out exactly how long he had, and then turned to his grandmother with a pleading look, "I promise to explain later, please can you just take me home first?"

Snow nodded and brought her arm around the boy's shoulder, "we'll use the sheriff cruiser."

Henry's face lit up and he asked, "can we use the siren?"

* * *

"But he doesn't want to be, I see no point in continuing the façade," Regina said as casually as she could.

Emma stared blankly at the woman she had hoped would have been the love of her life and suddenly felt as though the entire future she had been imagining for a while had been torn apart. For the first time in her life she had been sure that her feelings would have been returned, and the situation was now being made a hundred times worse by the fact that Regina was also rejectingHenry.

Grabbing the papers, she violently placed her signature on the line and threw the stack onto the counter.

"Fuck you, Regina," she shouted half way to the door.

Yanking the wooden structure forward, she was stopped on her path by the presence of a very familiar child.

"Henry," she sighed once she had gotten over her shock, "what are you doing here."

Henry took a moment to inspect the expression of anger on the saviour's face and realised that they must have already had their fight. Closing his eyes in frustration, he grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the kitchen.

Emma looked out the door to see her parents looked at the image with amused expressions on their faces, especially since Henry seemed to be unable to make the blonde move even an inch.

Finally he let go of her hand and said, "will you stop being stubborn and go back to her?"

"How do you know what happened?" The blonde asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll tell everyone later, now go and rip up the adoption dissolution papers and kiss her again."

"Kiss her?" David asked as his jaw fell open.

"David, now is not the time," Snow whispered.

The prince just shook his head and fell back against one of the beams, clearly thinking deeply about what had just been revealed.

Emma looked between her parents for a moment to make sure that this was actually real. She was sure that if she and Regina had actually started anything, it would have taken a lot longer to get Henry on board.

Henry took her shock as an opportunity to drag his birth mother towards his adoptive mother, this time actually succeeding in getting her to move. David and Snow watched them go, each of them silently agreeing that they should stay outside while Henry did what he needed to do.

"Mom," Henry shouted.

Regina's head shot up from the birthday card that she was reading, and Emma's eyebrows shot up when she saw the tears on the usually unreadable woman's face. As soon as she saw it, all of her anger at her fell away and she suddenly got the urge to go over and hug her.

Regina snapped the card shut and said, "what are you doing here, Henry?"

Henry felt guilt wash over him as it became clear that Regina had clearly had no hope of getting a visit from her son on her birthday.

"I'm here to give you your present," he replied, finally releasing Emma from his grip.

Regina blinked a few times as if she were trying to convince herself that this was real and then just nodded.

Henry bit his lip when he realised that he didn't actually have a gift for her, after a moment, he grabbed Emma and pulled her forward.

"Emma is your present," he said with a smile.

"You can't give me away," Emma said incredulously.

Henry rolled his eyes and explained, "I'm telling mom that I would be alright with you tow being together."

"Well you could have…" The blonde started, before she realised that she had no issues with what he was saying and then turned to inspect Regina's expression. She felt like a moron for not thinking that was the reason for the other woman rejecting her, but was now more doubtful than she had been before as to whether the mayor felt the same way.

Regina blinked a few times as she tried to work through her son's words. She had spent the last couple of months trying to adjust to the idea of him no longer being in her life, she hadn't for a second considered what she would do if he decided to come back to her.

"W-why?" she managed to stutter out.

Henry thought for a second, before he walked over to the woman who raised him and hugged her, "because I was wrong," he mumbled.

Emma and Regina exchanged a surprised look, but it didn't take long for Regina to bring her arms around the boy. Eventually Henry pulled back and looked up at his fellow brunette, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Regina asked with a furrowed brow.

Henry took a shaky breath and thought how best to explain his sudden change of heart, and decided to go for the most direct route.

"I saw the future and I didn't like it," he admitted.

Regina and Emma each furrowed their brows and Emma said, "you saw the future?"

Henry looked over his shoulder at the blonde and replied, "you don't believe me?"

Emma instantly shook her head and quickly held up her hands, "of course I believe you, I learnt that lesson the hard way, remember?"

Henry smiled and finally let his arms fall to his side, "it took me too long to see that everything isn't black and white, so Isaac gave me the chance to change it."

"Who is Isaac?" Regina asked.

Henry laughed at the utterly maternal look on the woman's face and launched into another hug, "he's the Author and he wanted to change the way that your story ended."

"Okay..." the mayor returned as her mind desperately tried to work through everything that was happening, while also lightly stroking his brown hair as if to make sure that he was really there.

Silence fell for a moment before Henry unhitched himself from his mother and walked over to the blonde who was clearly trying to think everything through.

Walking behind her, he lightly pushed her towards Regina.

Emma smiled as she watched their son go over to the counter and begin to rip up the signed papers on the counter.

Regina looked at what Henry was doing with a broad smile, this was going far better than she could have ever had hoped.

"I'm sorry for...you know..." Emma finally said, knowing that Regina would smack her if she said that word again.

Regina nodded awkwardly and replied, "I'm sorry for lying..."

"Lying?" Emma asked with a grin.

Regina and Henry rolled their eyes at the same time and the younger of the two said, "will you hurry up?"

Emma shook her head and decided to take the do over that was now so clearly set out in front of her, "I love you, Regina."

Regina turned once again to look at Henry who nodded his encouragement, with a sigh of relief, she brought her hand to the blonde's cheek and then leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on the other woman's lips.

"I love you too," she sighed.

Henry turned in his chair and jumped off to stand next to his mother's, "do I get the day off school?"

Emma furrowed her brow and asked, "why?"

Regina laughed and nodded, "of course you do, we need to introduce Emma to the tradition."

* * *

-One year later-

"Regina," Emma whispered against her ear.

The sleeping woman groaned and shook her head, "I'm sleeping," she whispered back.

Regina felt the mattress dip up and down and finally opened her eyes to see her fully dressed girlfriend bouncing excitedly.

"Anyone would believe it to be your birthday, Emma," Regina sighed and finally sat up.

Emma smiled broadly at her and quickly waved her hand so that she was no longer in her night clothes.

"I can see that you have learnt some useful tricks," the smaller woman laughed as she stretched and swung her legs around the bed.

"Well I have an excellent teacher," Emma replied and leaned forward to capture the birthday girl's lips in a good morning kiss. "Now come on, me and Henry made breakfast."

Regina allowed her live-in girlfriend to drag her to their kitchen where Henry was placing a plate of toast beside the other plates of prepared breakfast.

Henry turned and smiled broadly at his two mothers, "happy birthday!" he said.

Regina took her seat and brought her son into a hug, "thank you," she replied after she kissed his temple.

Emma and Henry took a seat each side of her, and the family began their breakfast exchanging discussions of their plans.

"I almost forgot," Emma said after swallowing a mouthful, and then after pulling out a card from her pocket, she handed it to Regina, "this is from Mary Margaret and David."

Regina nodded, though she and the Charmings would never be best friends, they had been civil lately. She had been especially surprised when Snow didn't faint the moment that she first saw her daughter kiss her former stepmother, though David had spent some time coming to grips with it, he had eventually stopped acting disturbed by it.

Opening the card, she laughed as she read the message inside.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"Their gift to me is to leave me alone for an entire week."

"That was my idea," Emma said proudly, "Snow did piss you off in the last town meeting so I thought it would be a good present."

Henry just rolled his eyes and continued eating as Regina kissed her cheek by way of saying thank you, "will this be an annual thing?"

"I'll let them know that we have a new tradition," Emma laughed.

"As long as we're giving gifts," Henry said, and pulled out a bag from under the counter placing it in front of his mother.

Regina raised her eyebrows at his son, the bag was from the only jewellery store in Storybrooke and she knew for a fact that it would take a while for him to have saved up for anything from there.

"It can't be better than what he gave you last year," Emma commented.

Regina rolled her eyes and without looking at her girlfriend said, "technically he gave me you last year."

"That is exactly my point, it was a pretty amazing gift."

Henry laughed and just pointed to the bag, "open it."

Regina nodded and pulled the ribbon open and took out a small velvet box.

Emma's eyes widened and she grabbed it and tried to hide it under the table, "what the hell, kid?"

"Sorry," Henry squeaked, "I must have grabbed the wrong bag."

Regina turned to Emma with a completely surprised look on her face, "is that what I thought it was?"

Emma shook her head, and said, "Henry got you a expensive necklace, go and get it kid."

The boy nodded and jumped off the stool.

"Emma..."

The blonde rolled her eyes dramatically and placed the box back on the counter, "I was going to do this during our dinner later."

"I can wait," Regina laughed.

Emma shook her head and jumped off the stool, "the moment would be ruined now anyway."

Swiping the box off the counter, she lifted its lid and dropped to one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

Regina looked over to the entrance pf the kitchen where Henry was practically vibrating with excitement, and began to nod vigorously, "of course I will."

Emma rose to her feet and placed the ring on Regina's hand, and then leaned forward to kiss her.

Henry ran into the kitchen and engulfed his two mothers in a hug.

Surrounded by her family, Regina couldn't help but think that this was definitely the best birthday that she'd ever had. She was certain that it couldn't get any better, but she couldn't wait to find out.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed this fic, would love to hear what you thought XD**

 **I need to thank my beta QueenApples for all her usual amazing help :)**


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